This biologist wants to make Ontario's roads safer for turtles

A Laurentian University biologist hopes efforts to protect small reptiles near Ontario's highways can help protect the at-risk animals.

At the federal level, all eight turtle species in Ontario are considered species at risk, while the province considers seven of them to be at risk.

"Habitat loss and destruction are definitely the biggest threats, and that's pretty straightforward," said Laurentian University biologist and turtle expert Jackie Litzgus. 

"If you take away an animal's habitat, it has a hard time persisting."

Litzgus said the province's roads pose a major threat to turtles, as many species are on the move during the summer months to find places for nesting.

Litzgus said female Blanding's turtles, which are endangered, can migrate five to six kilometres as they look for nest sites.

"So that puts them at great risk of encountering roads when they're on those migrations," she said.

If drivers come across a turtle on the road, Litzgus said they should help them cross the roadway in the same direction they were going, if it's safe to do so.

"And always remember to carry the turtle in the direction that it's headed," she said.

"It's not a good idea, you know, to catch the turtle and think, 'Oh, it's on a road, this is bad. I'm going to take it to my camp or my cottage and let it go in the wetland there because that's clearly better.'"

Last month Litzgus became the first recipient of the Jane Goodall Research Fellowship in Conservation Biology.

She said the research fellowship will afford her more time to focus on her work with the Georgian Bay Biosphere testing different fence designs that can be deployed along highways to lead turtles, and other animals, toward safe crossings.

Litzgus said past research along Highway 69, south of Sudbury, found that animal crossings and culverts were effective, but if a fence was damaged, turtles would often cross at that point instead.

"I know that I can't prevent the building of roads, but I'm opportunistic in that maybe we can make some good plans together to build structures that are going to be good for turtles and snakes and also for the people that are driving around," she said.